Stayed up late working on a week of sub plans. Wednesday is going to be simply hell. It is a day that I have a schedule with no prep periods, plus I have duty during 1st recess, so my last day before my trip will be busy. Meanwhile I am desperately trying to get some final grading done so I can give out academic notices as needed before I go. I have to do that so the parents get them early enough to know if their child is having some problems before the end of semester exams hit.
Plus I have to wash some clothes, pack, make sure I have all of my documents and whatever else must be done before I leave tomorrow morning. I need to be at the airport at about 7am so there won't be a lot I can do Thursday morning.
In a rush to be on the road...
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Just Hot!
Wow! It is just scorching today!. I came home from teaching all day, walked into the office and saw the temperature inside was 35deg Celsius - which translates to 95deg Fahrenheit. TURN ON THAT AIR CONDITIONER!
Of course, I am sure this Ecuadorian temperature is probably quite higher than what most of my Northern buddies are experiencing right now.
So I am just slumming at the moment, but I'll have to go out in a bit since I have a night class I am teaching.
More ice!
Of course, I am sure this Ecuadorian temperature is probably quite higher than what most of my Northern buddies are experiencing right now.
So I am just slumming at the moment, but I'll have to go out in a bit since I have a night class I am teaching.
More ice!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Life Can be so Unfair...
(sigh)
This is an important holiday weekend in most of Latin America. In the US, Easter is a fairly important religious holiday, but it doesn't involve days off, normally at least. In Catholic Latin America this is Semana Santa, Holy Week, a lengthy celebration. For many it is a 4-day weekend, including for the faculty and staff at my school.
Monday adds to it, it is 'Teacher Day' and after this 4-day weekend we will start our day with an assembly (or momento civico). After this we have classes until noon and then the students head home. At 1:30 we have a formal lunch at the auditorium for teachers. So, in the end we teachers will be at school for all day, but we will only teach half a day.
At my wife's school, though, they have Monday off, a 5-day weekend.
(sigh)
I need a different schedule!
This is an important holiday weekend in most of Latin America. In the US, Easter is a fairly important religious holiday, but it doesn't involve days off, normally at least. In Catholic Latin America this is Semana Santa, Holy Week, a lengthy celebration. For many it is a 4-day weekend, including for the faculty and staff at my school.
Monday adds to it, it is 'Teacher Day' and after this 4-day weekend we will start our day with an assembly (or momento civico). After this we have classes until noon and then the students head home. At 1:30 we have a formal lunch at the auditorium for teachers. So, in the end we teachers will be at school for all day, but we will only teach half a day.
At my wife's school, though, they have Monday off, a 5-day weekend.
(sigh)
I need a different schedule!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Waiting for the Shoe to Drop
Monday morning and I am sitting around not doing a whole lot. I´ve printed out all of my class rules and handbooks and put them in for copying so I´ll have them the first day. My emergency substitute plans are in and my start-of-year diagnostic exams are ready.
Unfortunately, administration is still locked up trying to put out a schedule. They still haven´t published any class rosters (and 1st Course, the equivalent of US 7th Grade starts tomorrow). They are also painting my classroom, again. They spent the weekend ripping out my wall, replacing it and newly mounting my brand-spanking new whiteboard. The fumes are eye-watering so there is no working there.
In short, I have literally nothing to do at the moment except wait. Once the actual schedule, and especially the class rosters are published then it will be super-hectic getting everything settled, but until then I am blogging and doing some work on my online class I am taking.
Cheers!
Unfortunately, administration is still locked up trying to put out a schedule. They still haven´t published any class rosters (and 1st Course, the equivalent of US 7th Grade starts tomorrow). They are also painting my classroom, again. They spent the weekend ripping out my wall, replacing it and newly mounting my brand-spanking new whiteboard. The fumes are eye-watering so there is no working there.
In short, I have literally nothing to do at the moment except wait. Once the actual schedule, and especially the class rosters are published then it will be super-hectic getting everything settled, but until then I am blogging and doing some work on my online class I am taking.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
International vs International
There is International Teaching, and then there is international teaching. Today has been a solid lesson in the difference between the two.
A quick explanation - for decades international teaching primarily meant teaching in a school that had mostly Native-English speaking teachers, teaching a Western (US or UK) type of curriculum to mostly international students of diplomatic families or business expatriates. In many ways it would be like teaching back home, including good support mechanisms.
In recent years there has been a vast expansion of local schools who are offering an English-language program to local students and hire a few foreign teachers to round out the language expertise and provide educational expertise not readily available through local teachers.
Lisa teaches in an INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. I teach in an international school. That's not bad, per se, but it is vastly different.
For example, we are back from vacation break and are preparing for students to return this week. I was never sent a contact to tell me a schedule for first week activities, transportation, when I should be there, nothing. I ended up calling the HR office to find out when the expresso would pick me up.
On Monday we were first told there would be a meeting at 8:30, then it was pushed back to 11:00. We were told the next few days we would have some workshops, but no schedule was put out. We were told we needed to write up our syllabus for our classes and have them in by Friday, but we didn't find out what the breakdown in classes/grade levels would be until today (Wednesday). We also didn't get out textbooks until today so we could see what we are supposed to be teaching. Today I sat through most of a 7-hour presentation on Special Education (in Spanish, not English for the foreign hires). A couple of new teachers we have are all bug-eyed. They had expected to simply be handed books, curriculum and syllabus and go for it. No such luck here.
Of course, that is part of the charm at teaching at a school like this. You aren't told what to teach, because frankly, the local educators really don't know what to teach. That's why they hired the foreign teacher. For a teacher who likes to teach their own way, with a minimal of school restrictions, this is paradise.
Of course, if you are in a position of needing a lot of direction and hand-holding, this type of a job is probably not for you.
Me, I love it. After the end of the day, I stood chatting with one of our new teachers, Wilhamena from Holland (who speaks 9 languages, 3 fluently), as we chatted about the day and watched a three foot iguana chow down on some leaves about ten feet from us. Can't get these experiences standing on the street in front of your school, I'd wager.
A quick explanation - for decades international teaching primarily meant teaching in a school that had mostly Native-English speaking teachers, teaching a Western (US or UK) type of curriculum to mostly international students of diplomatic families or business expatriates. In many ways it would be like teaching back home, including good support mechanisms.
In recent years there has been a vast expansion of local schools who are offering an English-language program to local students and hire a few foreign teachers to round out the language expertise and provide educational expertise not readily available through local teachers.
Lisa teaches in an INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. I teach in an international school. That's not bad, per se, but it is vastly different.
For example, we are back from vacation break and are preparing for students to return this week. I was never sent a contact to tell me a schedule for first week activities, transportation, when I should be there, nothing. I ended up calling the HR office to find out when the expresso would pick me up.
On Monday we were first told there would be a meeting at 8:30, then it was pushed back to 11:00. We were told the next few days we would have some workshops, but no schedule was put out. We were told we needed to write up our syllabus for our classes and have them in by Friday, but we didn't find out what the breakdown in classes/grade levels would be until today (Wednesday). We also didn't get out textbooks until today so we could see what we are supposed to be teaching. Today I sat through most of a 7-hour presentation on Special Education (in Spanish, not English for the foreign hires). A couple of new teachers we have are all bug-eyed. They had expected to simply be handed books, curriculum and syllabus and go for it. No such luck here.
Of course, that is part of the charm at teaching at a school like this. You aren't told what to teach, because frankly, the local educators really don't know what to teach. That's why they hired the foreign teacher. For a teacher who likes to teach their own way, with a minimal of school restrictions, this is paradise.
Of course, if you are in a position of needing a lot of direction and hand-holding, this type of a job is probably not for you.
Me, I love it. After the end of the day, I stood chatting with one of our new teachers, Wilhamena from Holland (who speaks 9 languages, 3 fluently), as we chatted about the day and watched a three foot iguana chow down on some leaves about ten feet from us. Can't get these experiences standing on the street in front of your school, I'd wager.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Gift Bag
There are students, and then there are students. Opened the front door this morning for Lisa to catch the morning expreso to her school. There was a little gift-bag type of thing sitting on the front porch. What is this? Inside is a bunch of papers and a note.
"Ms Evans, it is 10:45 at night. Sorry for the late hour but I wanted to turn these journals to you. I could not find your doorbell. The papers are in the bag. Sorry for the late hour."
Evidently Lisa told her classes that if they had late assignments turned in by yesterday, she would be able to grade them before grades had to be posted for report cards on Wednesday. Anything turned in today wasn't guaranteed to be graded in time. Of course, my question would be if credit can be given for an assignment turned into the teacher's home at 10:45 pm and still be counted "on time."
My opinion can not be expressed on a public board.
"Ms Evans, it is 10:45 at night. Sorry for the late hour but I wanted to turn these journals to you. I could not find your doorbell. The papers are in the bag. Sorry for the late hour."
Evidently Lisa told her classes that if they had late assignments turned in by yesterday, she would be able to grade them before grades had to be posted for report cards on Wednesday. Anything turned in today wasn't guaranteed to be graded in time. Of course, my question would be if credit can be given for an assignment turned into the teacher's home at 10:45 pm and still be counted "on time."
My opinion can not be expressed on a public board.
Monday, March 16, 2009
NCLB Braniac Admits Failure
An article in the National Review seems to show Michael J. Petrilli, one of the major writers of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and co-author of the book "No Child Left Behind: A Primer" has concluded the NCLB "as enacted is fundamentally flawed and beyond repair."
Among critical problems he cites:
The mandate of "highly qualified teachers" was a good idea, but the NCLB stated that local school authorities were in charge of defining what was highly qualified, leading to a "race to the bottom".
Schools have become "test-prep factories." They teach to the new standardized tests instead of developing real academic skills.
School choice laws are meaningless because there aren't enough really good schools, and no useful mechanism to improve poor schools.
He reportedly says that he still believes in the underlying theories that inspired the law, but that the mechanism of the NCLB is fatally flawed.
As for one who is a teacher, and has seen my wife teach in the "test-prep factories" of California...
DUH!
Among critical problems he cites:
The mandate of "highly qualified teachers" was a good idea, but the NCLB stated that local school authorities were in charge of defining what was highly qualified, leading to a "race to the bottom".
Schools have become "test-prep factories." They teach to the new standardized tests instead of developing real academic skills.
School choice laws are meaningless because there aren't enough really good schools, and no useful mechanism to improve poor schools.
He reportedly says that he still believes in the underlying theories that inspired the law, but that the mechanism of the NCLB is fatally flawed.
As for one who is a teacher, and has seen my wife teach in the "test-prep factories" of California...
DUH!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Robot Teacher for Japan
As if teachers are worried about their jobs enough as it is, now we have to beware of technology. It seems that a Japanese inventor has designed a robot to teach in Japanese Primary schools. Named Saha, the robot can take role, give lessons from a prepared text, even shows emotion. Of course, I am wondering how the robot will do answering questions like "Why does Johnny stand up when he goes pee" and chasing after young students who don't understand what they are supposed to do. See the full story about Saha, the robot teacher from Japan, here.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Running Around
Friday and I needed to get around and get a few things done. One of the great things about living overseas is that many places have much better transportation options than you typically have in the United States. Of course, "better" does depend on your point of view! If your idea of good is clean, quiet and comfortable, maybe not so much. Cheap and convenient? Then definitely so!
I left home around 2pm and walked the three short blocks to the bus stop (known as a parada here) and caught Linea 54 which goes to right in front of my school. I flagged down an ancient bus painted blue and white and paid my $0.25. The bus is grimy, noisy, with plastic seats that are filled. I am one of about a dozen that are standing as we huff down the road, driver laying on the horn at every opportunity. Fifteen minutes later I slither through the mass in the aisle and hop out of the bus. At Colegio Americano I drop of some documents to the HR department.
Then I’m back out to the street to hail a passing cab. It is an old Lada, about 18 years old and you can only open the passenger door from the inside. It is a fairly quick trip to Mall del Sol, a fairly modern, Western-style enclosed mall. The trip in the taxi costs $2.50. I do our weekly shopping at MegaMaxi – kind of an Ecuadorian equivalent of a SuperWalmart. Shop, and then grab another taxi home at another $3.00.
When school is in, my work provides an expreso which offers free rides to and from work. For most employees in Ecuador, where the minimum wage runs about $175 a month, this is an important benefit. Imagine working for $175 a month and you had to spend $25 on getting around?
Tomorrow I get to spend more time at Lisa’s school, they are having an international culture day and her 8th Graders are responsible for something or other. I’m coming along to lend whatever support and heavy lifting I can.
I left home around 2pm and walked the three short blocks to the bus stop (known as a parada here) and caught Linea 54 which goes to right in front of my school. I flagged down an ancient bus painted blue and white and paid my $0.25. The bus is grimy, noisy, with plastic seats that are filled. I am one of about a dozen that are standing as we huff down the road, driver laying on the horn at every opportunity. Fifteen minutes later I slither through the mass in the aisle and hop out of the bus. At Colegio Americano I drop of some documents to the HR department.
Then I’m back out to the street to hail a passing cab. It is an old Lada, about 18 years old and you can only open the passenger door from the inside. It is a fairly quick trip to Mall del Sol, a fairly modern, Western-style enclosed mall. The trip in the taxi costs $2.50. I do our weekly shopping at MegaMaxi – kind of an Ecuadorian equivalent of a SuperWalmart. Shop, and then grab another taxi home at another $3.00.
When school is in, my work provides an expreso which offers free rides to and from work. For most employees in Ecuador, where the minimum wage runs about $175 a month, this is an important benefit. Imagine working for $175 a month and you had to spend $25 on getting around?
Tomorrow I get to spend more time at Lisa’s school, they are having an international culture day and her 8th Graders are responsible for something or other. I’m coming along to lend whatever support and heavy lifting I can.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Smell of Paint is in the Air!
Had to stop by the school today. During my recent trip to The States I lost my passport and had to go through horrible hoops to get an emergency replacement so I could travel back to Ecuador. Now here in Ecuador, most of my paperwork for the bank, my teaching position and my visa is in the old passport so I have been running around getting things updated, and today my first stop was Colegio Americano. Stupid me, I accidentally brought my WIFE's passport, not mine, so it was a wasted trip and I'll have to go back again tomorrow.
However, in South America school is getting ready to start a new year - the vacation goes from February to March, unlike North America where it typically goes June-July - and the maintenance crew is going whole hog. Lockers are getting sanded, repaired and painted. New signs are up. Doors are getting a fresh coat of paint and it appears that the exteriors of the classrooms are going to have a fresh coat slapped on. March 23rd teachers are back and April 1 students return. What a wonderful April Fool's Day!
After that I did some shopping, then headed over to my wife's school, InterAmerican Academy. They are a true international school operating on the North American schedule so they are just closing out their 3rd quarter. They had got together a teacher's vs. the school's basketball team and they needed a few extra bodies. Of course, I was the oldest and least in shape of everyone on the court but I had fun and got through it without lasting injury. (InterAmerican Academy Sharks 38, Guests 26).
Then it was home to work on an online class I am taking on phonics reading instruction. Next week my wife is asking me in to teach a seminar to some of her classes on research for research papers. Hey! I'm supposed to be on vacation!
However, in South America school is getting ready to start a new year - the vacation goes from February to March, unlike North America where it typically goes June-July - and the maintenance crew is going whole hog. Lockers are getting sanded, repaired and painted. New signs are up. Doors are getting a fresh coat of paint and it appears that the exteriors of the classrooms are going to have a fresh coat slapped on. March 23rd teachers are back and April 1 students return. What a wonderful April Fool's Day!
After that I did some shopping, then headed over to my wife's school, InterAmerican Academy. They are a true international school operating on the North American schedule so they are just closing out their 3rd quarter. They had got together a teacher's vs. the school's basketball team and they needed a few extra bodies. Of course, I was the oldest and least in shape of everyone on the court but I had fun and got through it without lasting injury. (InterAmerican Academy Sharks 38, Guests 26).
Then it was home to work on an online class I am taking on phonics reading instruction. Next week my wife is asking me in to teach a seminar to some of her classes on research for research papers. Hey! I'm supposed to be on vacation!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Dueling Vacations
One reason I finally decided to take the plunge and become a teacher was vacations. The two-month vacations my wife annually took seemed beguiling when compared to the short times I managed away while in business. Better yet, we thought, how about being able to take lengthy vacations together? Even travel extensively together! How cool is that?
Travel? Check with places like Colombia, Mexico and of course our current location of Ecuador. The problem we has was our positions at two different schools. You see, Lisa teaches at a true international school, one that is accredited in the US system and follows the American-typical schedule of classes August-May. My school is more of a high-level Ecuadorian school which follows the typical South American schedule of April-January. Of course, this means no shared vacation times.
Except this week, since I am still in the waning days of my "summer" vacation, while her school is out for a week for Spring Break. We've actually had time to do some things together. Granted, it is amazing how much we are actually doing on school stuff. She is getting ready for class Monday, while I have to start thinking about what I am doing for "next year."
Funny about that. I had lost my passport during a recent trip - something which deserves its own blog entry and I hope I get to it soon - so I needed to stop by my school so they can get the new passport information. While there I stopped in to chat with MariaLaura, the school's International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator. She mentioned classes "next year" and I teasingly replied, "you know that 'next year' is in three weeks, you know."
"Don't tell me that!"
So yeah, the days are counting down until March 23 and I have to be back to work.
I have been monitoring the job listings at The International Educator and right now there are over 1100 teaching jobs posted there. We have to make a decision soon if we want to remain here another year or to look for a new place. We will have to see.
Travel? Check with places like Colombia, Mexico and of course our current location of Ecuador. The problem we has was our positions at two different schools. You see, Lisa teaches at a true international school, one that is accredited in the US system and follows the American-typical schedule of classes August-May. My school is more of a high-level Ecuadorian school which follows the typical South American schedule of April-January. Of course, this means no shared vacation times.
Except this week, since I am still in the waning days of my "summer" vacation, while her school is out for a week for Spring Break. We've actually had time to do some things together. Granted, it is amazing how much we are actually doing on school stuff. She is getting ready for class Monday, while I have to start thinking about what I am doing for "next year."
Funny about that. I had lost my passport during a recent trip - something which deserves its own blog entry and I hope I get to it soon - so I needed to stop by my school so they can get the new passport information. While there I stopped in to chat with MariaLaura, the school's International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator. She mentioned classes "next year" and I teasingly replied, "you know that 'next year' is in three weeks, you know."
"Don't tell me that!"
So yeah, the days are counting down until March 23 and I have to be back to work.
I have been monitoring the job listings at The International Educator and right now there are over 1100 teaching jobs posted there. We have to make a decision soon if we want to remain here another year or to look for a new place. We will have to see.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Salverston?
Who am I?
Well, my real name is Richard Evans, a 48-year-old teacher living and working in Guayaquil, Ecuador. My somewhat farcical pen name is Salverston J. Saddlebelly, Esq, something I concocted decades ago while in high school and have used it for all things odd and amusing. Me? In South America teaching Ecuadorians? That can be about as amusing as it can get.
While I backed into teaching, my wife has been one of those amazingly solid folks who have magically dedicated to helping the next generation (and the next, and the next) get a smart foot as they step out ahead to their future. She has been teaching English and Spanish for almost 30 years. Myself, I was originally a journalist, then an Army guy, then got into business. Then figured that my wife was setting a wonderful example so I've made my fourth career change.
While my degree is in Social Studies, right now I am teaching Business and Marketing at a private college prep school.
This blog is here to explore the wonders of international teaching, and travel throughout the world.
Well, my real name is Richard Evans, a 48-year-old teacher living and working in Guayaquil, Ecuador. My somewhat farcical pen name is Salverston J. Saddlebelly, Esq, something I concocted decades ago while in high school and have used it for all things odd and amusing. Me? In South America teaching Ecuadorians? That can be about as amusing as it can get.
While I backed into teaching, my wife has been one of those amazingly solid folks who have magically dedicated to helping the next generation (and the next, and the next) get a smart foot as they step out ahead to their future. She has been teaching English and Spanish for almost 30 years. Myself, I was originally a journalist, then an Army guy, then got into business. Then figured that my wife was setting a wonderful example so I've made my fourth career change.
While my degree is in Social Studies, right now I am teaching Business and Marketing at a private college prep school.
This blog is here to explore the wonders of international teaching, and travel throughout the world.
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